Animal scratching device



Nov. 9, 1943.

R. McQUlSTAN ANIMAL SCRATCHING DEVICE Fi led Feb. 28, 1 942 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor Pan ALB M QU/S T/HV Patented Nov. 9, 1943 A IMAL solm'ronmopavron RonaldHMcQuistan, Fender, Nebnfaissig nor; f 3 Automatic Currying 8a Dipping Machine Comj,

' pany, PeridergNebn', a corporationof Nebraska if Application February 28, 1942} Serial No.:432,857.

1 Claim.

bly preventing leakage and waste of oil dispensed in the device for lubricating the animals backs.

Other and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my invention, all of which, together with the precise nature of my improvements, will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claim are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure l is a view in front elevation of a portion of an animal back scratching device embodying my improvements,

Figure 2 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a view in vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and drawn to an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the back scratching device with which my improvements are more particularly concerned comprises a channel iron frame of inverted U shape and including a pair of side arms I and a top stretch 2, The frame is designed to be rigidly mounted between a pair of posts, not shown, fixed in the ground. An arched, brush-carrying, channel iron member 3 is slidably mounted at its ends in said arms i so that it is movable upwardly by animals passing under the same. The brush-carrying member 3 has fixed on top thereof a guide bar t extending between the arms I with its ends slidably mounted therein for upward movement of said bar by said member 3. An oil storage tank 5 is mounted on top of the stretch 2 centrally thereof. An oil discharge pipe 6 depends from said storage tank centrally thereof and terminates above the guide bar 4, The member 3 is perforated, as at I, to permit oil fed into the channel thereof to drain therethrough into brushes on said member represented by dash lines at 8 in Figure 3.

For a more detailed disclosure of the device, reference may be had to the beforementioned patent.

Coming now to my improvements, a valve casing 9 is provided at the lower end of the oil discharge pipe 6 comprising a bushing l0 threaded onto said lower end, a sleeve I l threaded onto the bushing and depending therefrom, and a dished nut 12 threaded into the'lower end of the sleeve 1 I and including a flat bottomed valve seat I3 in the lower part of the casing 9 and a smooth axial bore [4 extending therethrough and forming an oil discharge for said casing.

A bolt-like valve stem I5, smaller in diameter than the bore I4, depends from the nut 12,

through the bore I4, with its lower end projecting through a central aperture 16 in the guide bar 4 and bearing in a central depression l1 in the member 3. The valve stem i5 is provided with a flat bottomed head forming a valve member I8 adapted to seat flush on the valve seat I3 to close the bore 14.

A coil spring l9 sleeved onto the stem l5 between the nut l2 and a washer 20 on said stem urges the stem downwardly and the valve member l8 onto the seat l3. A cotter pin 2| extending though the stem l5 supports the washer 20.

The lower end of the oil discharge pipe 6 is internally beveled to form an upper valve seat 22 in said valve casing 9. A ball valve member 23 is provided in said valve casing 9 on top of the valve member ill for seating against the seat 22 under upward movement of valve member l8by the stem l5. s

As will be manifest, the described ball valve member 23, in the normal position of the parts,

is unseated by gravity from the valve seat 22 so that the discharge pipe 6 isnormally open to feed oil into the valve casing 9. Under upward movement of the member 3, the valve stem i5 is moved upwardly thereby to elevate the valve member l8 off its seat i3 so that the oil in the casing 9 may discharge through the bore Hi and aperture iii of guide bar 6 into the channel or the member 3 to escape through the latter to me brushes 8. Upward movement of the stem i5 raises the ball valve member 23 to seat the same and close the discharge pipe is.

To brace the discharge pipe ii and incidentally the oil tank 5, a strap iron brace M is provided 7 on top of the guide bar t and comprises a can tral part 25 of inverted U shape through which the discharge pipe 6 is slidably extended, and oppositely disposed right angled ends 26 bolted to said bar 4, as at 2?. The pipe is braced against accidental flexing, as by workmen in installing the device, or side pressure in shipping,- to prevent the same from being bent outof line. The usual upstanding leaf springs 28 provided in the device for engaging the stretch 2 and thereby tensioning the guide bar 4 and member 3 against upward movement are secured to ends 26 of the brace 24 by the bolts 21.

The foregoing will. it is believed, sumce to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly, my invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the'inventive concept, and right is here n iethe served ta such minions as with: the

I scope of the subjoined claim. 10

What I claimis:

correspondingly move said head and open said bore, and a ball valve resting on said' head and i An oil feed control for animal scratching ap I paratus' of the type embodying ailrmmafzmv oil.)

storage tank surmounting and flxedto the frame,

an oil dischargepipe depending the mp1; and a scratching member .mpvable 111' the frame below said pipe, said'control comprising a valve casing including a bushis'ifi to be threaded onto the lower end of thepipe,

a sleeve threaded onto and depending from said bushing, an axially bored flat bottomed member threaded'into the lower end ofthe sleeve and forming a flat valve seat, a bolt-like valve stem of smaller diameter than said bore depending therethrough with the head thereof forming a valyenqrmally seatin on saidseat to close said:

bore, said stun being 11 sn'pved upwardly by such movement of said member to movable upwardly by upward movement of said head and. adapted under such movement there-.

ofto seatassinstthe lower end ofsaid pipe and thereby close the same.

RONALD MCQUISTAN. 

